Celebrating Christmas in Poland: Holiday Vacation Guide

Whether because of work, family, or simply for the love of travel, many people often find themselves abroad at Christmas. The experience can be an enjoyable one because of the unique culture and the way the country celebrates this holiday. A country with a great deal of cultural traditions, it helps to know their backgrounds so you as a traveler can have a fuller experience.

Unlike the U.S., the most festive part of Christmas in Poland is Christmas Eve (December 24^th). In Polish, Christmas Eve is called Wigilia. Taken from the Latin for "keeping watch," Church tradition states that on the day before a major celebration, the people would fast and stay up all night praying together.

The Christmas Eve supper is a tradition that has been celebrated since the 18^th century. Before the meal, Polish housewives would thoroughly clean the house. Often in countryside homes, the people follow the tradition of placing sheaves of grain (wheat, rye, barley, oats) in the four corners of every main room in the house. This is done in the belief that the Infant Jesus would not begrudge the people and their cattle food in the coming New Year.

A white tablecloth is laid on the table, in reference to an altar and the robes of Jesus. Underneath the tablecloth, the inhabitants often lay hay, in memory of the hay which made up the Christ Child's bed. Until supper, the family would take part in a strict fast. The supper consists of an odd number of diverse Lenten dishes. There is an odd number of dishes in order to ensure a good harvest or success in the coming year.

Tradition states that there should always be an even number of people at the table, because an odd number of people means bad luck. The unluckiest number is 13, tracing its origins to the Last Supper, in which Judas Iscariot was the 13^th person at the table.